Arctic Drill Rig Sparks Outcry

By The Associated Press

May 18, 2015

SEATTLE — Foes of Royal Dutch Shell’s use of a seaport terminal to prepare for exploratory oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean attacked on two fronts Monday as a few hundred protesters blocked port entrances and the City of Seattle declared that Shell and its maritime host lacked a proper permit.

The city said the use of Terminal 5 by a floating drill rig violated the site’s permitted use as a cargo terminal. The 400-foot Polar Pioneer and its support tug Aiviq must be removed from the terminal or Shell’s host, Foss Maritime, must obtain an appropriate permit, the Seattle Department of Planning and Development said.

The companies can appeal. Possible fines start at $150 per day. The notice said the violation must be corrected by June 4.

A Shell spokesman said it believed the use of the terminal is valid. Foss and the Port of Seattle are appealing an earlier determination by the city that the use of Terminal 5 was not permitted.

A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 18 of the New York edition with the headline: Arctic Drill Rig Sparks Outcry. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe